Rapid processing apparatus for photographic film



e 1952 E. J. MAiwALD, JR 2,587,350

RAPID PROCESSING APPARATUS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM.

Filed July 25, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Afaz I g i ""7 A W i E INVENTOR.

j ERNEST J. MAIWALD, JR

AV; 4770mm;

Feb. 26, 1952 E. J. MAIWALD, JR

RAPID PROCESSING APPARATUS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM Filed July 25', 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 add I I x \N ///iW/Z //Z INVENTOR- ERNEST J MAIWALD, JR

BY M,Wof\v Patented Feb. 26, 1952 RAPID PROCESSING APPARATUS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM Ernest J. Maiwald, Jr.,

Oyster Bay, N. Y., assignor to Kenyon Instrument Company, 1110., Huntington, N. Y.

Application July 25, 1950, Serial No. 175,715

7 Claims.

This invention relates to the rapid processing of photographic film. It has particular reference to an improved apparatus for this purpose.

In the rapid processing of photographic film, it has been proposed heretofore to feed a strip of exposed film to a processing head having a recess or shallow cup to which the processing fluids are delivered in sequence. The film is fed over the mouth of the shallow cup so that the processing fluids contact the emulsion side of the film. The shallow cup may be made in various geometrical forms, depending upon the type of film to be processed, but in any case it has an inlet port for the processing fluids and also an outlet port through which the spent fluids are discharged by suction. An apparatus of this type is disclosed in Tuttle application Serial No. 114,701, filed September 9, 1949.

The fluid flow into the cup of such an apparatus is due to a pressure differential between the inlet and outlet ports of the processing head and is made possible because the processing cup is sealed by the photographic film itself against any appreciable leakage. That is, the suction in the fluid discharge line from the cup acts to draw the film against the edge or rim of the cup and form a seal. However, this method of sealing the film side of the cup by the film itself leads to an operating difficulty in that the film is drawn into the cup due to the lower pressure at the cup side of the film than at the opposite or base side of the film, and in some cases the film is drawn into the cup suificiently to interfere with the flow of processing fluids through the cup.

The present invention has for its principal object the provision of a rapid film processing apparatus of the type described, which overcomes the above-mentioned difficulty.

According to the invention, I provide a processing head forming a path for movement of the film strip along the head, the head having a recess opening into the film path and forming a processing station. A duct communicates with the recess for delivering a processing fluid to the overlying film, and a suction pipe communicates with the recess to draw the emulsion face of the film against the edges of the recess, in order to seal the latter and also to draw the processing fluid through the recess. At the base side of the film is a plain, fiat member opposite the recess or processing station in the head. This member is capable of operating as a suction device on the base side of the film. It may take the form of a perforated plate or it may be a block of porous, sponge-like material, such as sintered metal or ceramic. A suction pipe communicates with this block to create a partial vacuum therein. Pressure within this block is maintained lower than the pressure in the processing recess. Thus, the base side of the film is drawn against the block and the tendency of the suction on the emulsion side of the film to draw the film into the processing recess is counteracted.

With the new apparatus, the processing fluids may be delivered to the processing recess through a port extending along one edge of the recess, and the spent fluids may be discharged through a similar port extending along the opposite edge of the recess. The fluids will then fiow at a uniform rate in a uniformly thin layer along the film from one edge of the processing recess to the opposed edge, thereby insuring rapid and uniform developing, fixing, etc. of the image.

In one form of the apparatus, the member opposite the processing recess in the head is movable in the direction of the film path to feed the film along the path. Thus, by maintaining the partial vacuum in this movable member after completion of the processing, the movable member also serves as a means for feeding the successive frames of the film to and from the processing station.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view of a preferred form of the new apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the main body of the processing head as illustrated in Fig. l, and

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View, partly in plan, of a modified form of the new apparatus, in which the member for counteracting displacement of the film into the processing recess is also used for transporting the film to and from the processing station.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the apparatus there shown comprises a metal block Ill forming the main body of a film processing head. In its front face, the body It is formed with a shallow recess Ilia which receives the fluids for processing a photographic film F. The film F is in strip form and is fed intermittently in any suitable manner to bring previously exposed portions of the film into registry with the processing recess Mia. The latter, as shown, is substantially square.

When an exposed portion of the film arrives at the recess Ella, the developer fluid is first delivered to the recess through a sup-ply passage H leading to a bore H. in the block I0. At the front end of the bore i2 is a hollow elongated insert 13 extending along one end of the recess Illa from side to side of the latter. The insert I3 has a passage I3a communicating with the bore I2 and extending crosswise of the block, between the sides of recess Illa. Thus, the passage liia forms an inlet port extending along one edge of the processing recess. The bore 52 opens into the elongated space receiving the insert I3. Flow of the developer fluid is controlled by a valve It slidable in the bore I2 and having a stern Ma projecting from the rear face of the block I0. The valve is urged by a spring toward the insert l3, so that the valve in its normal position closes the inner end of passage II and thereby prevents flow of developer fluid to the distributor passage ida. Supply of developer fluid to the distributor passage lSa is initiated by drawing the valve rearwardly to the position illustrated in Fig. 1, against the action of spring !5, which may be effected by any suitable actuator (not shown) connected to the stem ltd, such as a solenoid.

:An insert I'l' similar to the insert l3 extends along the opposite edge of the processing recess um and has an elongated passage Ila forming a discharge port. A bore Ill extends from the rear face of the bloclr It towards the reces Illa and opens into the elongated space which receives the insert I'i. A vacuum passage I9 also opens into this space and is connected to a source of vacuum (not shown). The passage Ila and the recess Ida may be connected to or disconnected from the vacuum passage Is by a valve 2;! slidable in the bore !8 and having a stem we projecting from the rear face or". the block iii. The valve 28 is urged forwardly by a spring 2I so that the valve in its normal position closes the inner end of vacuum passage I9 and thereby breaks the connection between the recess IBM and the vacuum source. When the valve is drawn against the spring 2i, as by means of a solenoid (not shown) connected to the stem Eda, the processing recess is connected to the vacuum source through the elongated insert I"! and passage I9.

It will be understood that with the valves I4 and 2G in their open positions, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the developer fluid will be drawn by suction from a suitable supply pipe (not shown) connected to passage I i into one end of the recess Illa by way of the elongated distributing passage I3a. It will then be drawn in a thin layer along the emulsion side of film F to the discharge port Ila and thence through passage I9 to a suitable waste receptacle (not shown) in which the vacuum is maintained. By reason of the partial. vacuum maintained in the recess Ida, the film F tends to be drawn against the edges of this recess and thereby prevent any appreciable leakage between the film and the block; in.

Since the recess Illa is quite shallow, the developer fluid will how rapidly along the emulsion side of the film from the inlet port I3a to the outlet port Ila; and because of the arrangement of these ports along the opposing, edges of the recess, from side to side of the latter, the fluid will flow at a uniform rate throughout the exposed surface of the film. Consequently, the processing is effected rapidly and with uniformity.

Upon completion of the developing operation the valve I4 is closed to cut off the supply of developer fluid. Thereupon, the fixer solution is admitted to the elongated space containing the insert I3, by a passage and valve similar to the passage II and valve I4, respectively, the fixer solution being drawn along the emulsion side of the film and discharged through ports He and vacuum passage I9. Washing and drying fluids may then be admitted in sequence to the distributor insert 13 by similar passages and valves, it being understood that for each processing fluid to be applied to the film F the head IE is provided with an arrangement such as that illustrated in Fig. l for delivering the fluid to the distributor insert I3.

During the operation of the processing unit, the suction in the fiuid discharge line I9 creates a sub-atmospheric pressure in the recess or shallow cup Eta. Accordingly, there is a tendency for the emulsion side of the film F to be drawn against the head H3 over its recess Eda, so as to seal the edges of the recess. in this way, the film acts to prevent leakage of air into the recess ills, which would interfere with the feeding of the pro-cessing fluids and impair the processing operations. The sub-atmospheric pressure in the recess 18a also tends to draw the overlying film into the recess toward bottom thereof, thereby distorting the film and impeding the rapid and even flow of the fluid along the emulsion side of the film. To counteract this tendency, I provide a device which will now be described.

A member 23 is disposed on the base side of the film F adjacent the head in. lhe member 23 contains a section or block 2360 of porous material opposite the processing recess We in the head. The path of the film F extends between the member 223 and the head IE2 and between the porous block Elia and recess Ida. A suction pipe it is connected to the member '23 and communicates with its porous block 23a, the pipe 24 being connected to any suitable vacuum source (not shown).

The suction pipe 23 creates and maintains in the spaces of the porous block 23a a partial vacuum greater than that in recess Illa, thereby counteracting the tendency for the film F to be drawn into the recess Il a by the partial vacuum in the latter recess. Consequently, during the operation of the processing unit, the film F is held in a substantially flat position over the processing recess as shown in Fig. 1, whereby the processing fluids may flow freely along the emulsion side of the film without interference due to bulging of the film into the recess its. By maintaining a somewhat higher vacuum in the porous block 23a than in the opposing recess Ita, the film F will be held fiat against the adjacent face of the block 23a; but at the same time the suction in processing recess Illa will draw both the film F and the member 23 against the edges of recess I Ga and thereby seal the latter.

When the processing of the film frame overlying the recess Illa is completed, the film is advanced to bring the next frame into registry with the recess Ida, and the processing operation is repeated. Before each advance movement of the film F, the valve as may be moved inward against spring 2! to break the connection between recess Ida and the suction line I9, whereby the pressure in recess lilo returns to atmospheric pressure, and at the same time the partial vacuum in the block 23a may be broken, as by means of a suitable valve (not shown) in the suction line 24. Thus, the film may be advanced between the members IQ and 23 without the resistance which would otherwise be imposed due to the suction in the recess Ifla and block 23a. It will be understood that the fiuid supply valve I4 (and the similar valve for each additional processing fluid) is closed when the film is advanced to bring the next frame into position over the recess a.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the apparatus as there shown comprises a processing head l6 similar to that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The path of the film F extends between the recess la and a porous block 26a secured in a member 26 adjacent the head. Suction pipe 21 is connected to the member 26 and the communicates with the block 260; through a passage 26b. The member 26 and the suction pipe 2'! are supported by a carrier 28 in the form of a cylinder. As shown, the pipe 21 extends through the lower end of the carrier cylinder 28 and is provided in the cylinder with a collar 29. A spring 30 in the cylinder is coiled around the upper end portion of pipe 2'! and urges the collar 29 against the lower end of cylinder 28. The cylinder is mounted on a rod 3| which constiutes a means for reciprocating the parts 26, 21 and 28 in a path parallel to the path of the film F, the rod 3! being slidably mounted in suitable bearings (not shown).

A valve stator 32 is mounted on top 01' the carrier cylinder 28 and communicates with the interior of the cylinder through a port 28a. The stator also has a duct 32a communicating with atmosphere. Within the stator 32 is a rotor 33 having interconnecting passages 33a. With the rotor in the position illustrated in Fig. 3, the cylinder 28 is connected through passages 33a with a suction hose 34, whereby air is exhaust d from recess 26a by way of pipe 2'! and cylinder 28 so as to maintain partial vacuum in the spaces of block 26a.

In. the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 3 the film processing operations are similar to those described in connection with the apparatus illustrated in Fi s. 1 and 2. However, when the processing is completed and the recess 10a is disconnected from its suction line IS, the actuator rod 3! is moved in the direction in which the film is to be ad anced to bring the next frame into re istry with the processin recess Illa. During this movement of the rod 3 I, the film F adheres to the member 26 due to the suction maintained in block 2 a by the connection throu h pipe 27, cylinder 28. and rotor passa es 33a to the vacuum ho e 34. Th re o e. the film will be advanced with the member the cylinder 28'and the rod 3 I. so as to deliver the next film frame to the proc- GSSillg station and move the previously processed frame to a subsequent station, where it may be further processed or where the image may be proiected upon a screen. Near the end of the advance movement of rod 3!, a stationary stop (not shown) engages a lever 35 on the rotor 33 and causes the rotor to be turned counterclockwise through approximately 90, whereupon the port 28a is disconnected from the suction hose 34 and connected to the atmosphere duct 32a. As a result, the suction in block 26 is broken and the film is released from the member 26. Then, the rod 3| is retracted and moves back over the stationary film to the initial position illustrated in Fig. 3. Near the end of this return movement, the lever 35 engages a second stop 36, which causes the rotor 33 to rotate clockwise to its initial position, thereby disconnecting port 28d from atmosphere and connecting it to the suction hose 34. The partial vacuum will then be restored in block 26a so as to counteract the tendency for the film F to be drawn into the recess 66a during the subsequent processing operations on the film frame lying between the parts i!) and. 26.

It will be understood that in the apparatus i1 lustrated in Fig. 3 the member 26 and its associated suction line serve not only to maintain the film F in a substantially flat position during the processing operations but also to advance the film intermittently relative to the processing head I 0. The spring 30 imposes a pressure on the member 26 to urge this member against the film F and the processing head I0, and the spring allows the member 26 to yield during the reciprocating movements of the rod 3] incident to advancing of the film.

While I have shown each of the members 23 and 26 with a porous block of approximately the same area and configuration as the opposing recess Illa, each of these members may be provided instead with a series of holes or channels forming a porous section connected to the suction tube 24 or 34. In either case, the porous section forms in the plane of the film base a surface against which the film is held by the suction in the tube 24 or 34.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for rapid processing of photographic film, which comprises a processing head forming a path for movement of the film along the head, the head having a recess forming a processing station adjacent said path, a duct communicating with the recess for delivering a processing fiuid thereto, a suction pipe communicating with the recess for drawing the emu! slon face of the film against the edges of the recess and drawing the fluid through the recess, a member having a porous section opposite said recess, the film path extending between said section and recess, and a suction pipe communicating with said porous section for creating a partial vacuum therein to counteract displacement of the film into said recess.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said recess has ports extending along opposite edges thereof and communicating, respectively, with the first suction pipeand said duct.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising also means for moving said member in the direc tion of the film path to feed path.

4. Apparatus accordingto claim 1, comprising also a carrier for said member and said last pipe, means for reciprocating the carrier parallel to the film path, and a valve for interrupting the suction in said last pipe.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising also a carrier for said member and said last pipe, means for reciprocating the carrier parallel to the film path, a valve for interrupting the suction in said last pipe, and means for operating the valve in timed relation with the reciprocation oi. the carrier.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said porous section has a surface in the plane of the film base.

'7. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said section comprises a porous block.

the film along said ERNEST J. MAIWALD, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Pask Apr. 29, 1947 Cobb H Dec. 27, 1949 Number 

